A slate of Anambra-based journalists recently met with
Mr. Oseloka H. Obaze (OHO), the
immediate-past Secretary to the Anambra State Government and presently the
MD/CEO of Selonnes Consult Ltd. and a gubernatorial aspirant in Anambra State
gubernatorial elections next November. The extensive exchange of views
covering an array of political and governance issues follows.

Since you
left office as Secretary to the State Government, many people have looked forward
to your next move. What do you tell such people in view of the fact that 2017
is election year in Anambra state?

OHO: I
left government in June 2015 and returned to private life. However, I remained
a member of Nigeria's attentive public. The nature of my policy and governance
consultancy meant that I was involved in every aspect of the governance
discourse at the national level, but purposely not on Anambra State. I have
addressed many critical national issues in my policy op-eds. On Anambra
politics, I only broke my silence in mid-November 2016, when I said
"Anambra has been hijacked"and hinted that I might re-enter the
political fray, if that was the only way to salvage Anambra and save the
Anambra North political mandate. With 2017 on the roll, it means that I'm
constructively engaged and fully involved.

As a diplomat
what policies do you think Federal Government should put in place to reverse
the current economic recession faced by the country?

OHO: The
economic and political rut in Nigeria is not new. The challenges we face
are also not peculiar to Nigeria. Yet, good governance is not a one off event;
it is a systematic process that requires policy clarity, coherence, political
will and the policy executors who can effect required changes without being
cowed by either the leadership or sectional pressure groups. Presently,
so long as the federal government lacks the will to introduce a single foreign
currency regime, some Nigerians will feed fat on the faulty exchange regime,
while the country as a whole suffers since we are import dependent. We need
some form of shock therapy to turn things around. Results-based budgeting at
all levels, support for the private sector and allowing free market forces to
hold sway might do the trick. The present practice of deficit budgeting and
borrowing to finance soft and social infrastructure is unhelpful. Generally, we
must have the courage and political will to operate governance within available
resources.

Nigeria is at
the crossroads, facing agitations from the Niger Delta, Pro Biafra groups,
economic recession, religious crises etc., what is the way out?

OHO:
Agitation, protestations and dissent are all tenets of any healthy democracy.
Nigeria cannot be an exception. There is a yawning trust gap between the
leaders and the led. Nigeria has never been as fractious as it is now,
except during the civil war period. Government can't keep on preaching about
change and asking people to trust them, even as the situation deteriorates
visibly. I've said it elsewhere, recession, crises, disenfranchisement
and alienation are not dividends of democracy. It is also fallacious to handle
the agitations in Niger Delta and Pro-Biafran groups as a matter of law and
order, while not applying that principle to herdsmen violence and killings.
There should be constructive political engagement as well as confidence
building measures that are devoid of political rhetoric and policy actions that
are not based on precepts. That is the way out.

How could you
address the problem of high cost of governance in Nigeria, particularly Anambra
state?

OHO: Good
governance is not about expropriating every sector -political, economic and
social -- so as to convey a sense of being in charge or hands on.
Individual investors, the organized private sector and the local
government and municipal or township governments all have critical roles to
play. Yet the federal and state governments have coveted every facet of
governance in order to control local government funds. It's ironic that some
elected state governors even refuse to hold local government elections. This
results in wastes, duplication, lack of check and balances and absence of due
process. Cumulatively, the end result is a huge state bureaucracy that
translates to high cost of governance. You cannot address youth
employment by creating an unwieldy legion of young exuberant political appointees,
with bogus titles, exaggerated sense of self worth, undue expectations and a
bloated sense of entitlement. Government needs to be streamlined to be
effective, nimble and efficient.

Speculations are rife that you are
interested in contesting for the governorship of Anambra State which will take
place later this year. Can you confirm this? And if you have an interest to run
for the Anambra governorship election in 2017; my question is, on which
platform?

OHO: Yes I
do. I have said so publicly and consultations on the platform are ongoing.
There exists a very cogent basis for my candidacy. Be assured that almost every
registered party on this side of the political terrain will field a candidate
or adopt one. This time around, which platform or party a candidate
belongs to may not matter as much as the candidate's bona fides. I believe our people and Nigerians as a whole
have learnt some hard and harsh lessons about incidental leadership.
Anambra deserves better leadership and the people know it and will
decide. I doubt that there will be a repeat of past mistakes this time
around; if that happens we will have ourselves to blame in the medium and long
term, and not just for Anambra State, but for the entire southeast geopolitical
zone and the Igbo nation.

Why the
desire to serve in governorship capacity?

OHO: In
every capacity that I have served as a public servant, I have always put in my
best and added value. So, a governorship slot, or foray into that realm can't
be any different. But then, leadership is about vision, exposure,
capacity and the wherewithal to deliver the required governance values and
services. Besides developing a forward looking blueprint, one must also
have the experience and institutional knowledge of how government
establishments are run. Apropos Anambra, our potentialities remain high, but we
are underperforming and underachieving because we are contented with a state
that is just working rather than aiming to be the best state that every other
state emulates and aspire to catch up with or surpass.

The
general opinion is the incumbent governor has done well and that the North zone
were lucky to occupy the position for now. Why the mad quest to replace him, is
it the interest of the generality of Anambra people?

OHO:
What are the parameters of doing well? Routine governance obligations
like paying salaries and pension hardly constitute critical good governance
benchmarks; except of course, if you are comparing your state to near-failed or
unviable states. Don't get me wrong. Credit must be given where
due. Anambra has progressed with each successive administration. But then, if
one goes to the Olympic Games, the ultimate goal is not just to get beyond the
first round, but to win the gold medal. On the core question, every
incumbent must run on his record while in office; the challengers will run on
the basis of being credible alternatives with far more better services to
deliver. In the end, the electorate will decide. Any leader with a
stellar performance will not be at risk of being openly challenged. Those who
are openly challenged have obvious chinks in their armor; such inadequacies are
not lost to the generality of the people. Moreover, there’s a vast
different in concrete achievements and hyped accomplishments.

How do you
see the Local Government system and its administration in Anambra
particularly how their allocation from the centre is used; and does the recent
largess of N20 million for communities justify the lack of need for of it.

OHO: The way
we have handled the local government in Nigeria is an aberration. The flaw is
systemic and linked to the 1999 Constitution, which does not make the local
government a federating unit per se. That lacuna is being used as an excuse by
the federal and state governments to emasculate the local government. Any
governor who understands the tenets of democracy, and is committed to
development at the grassroots, must give unfettered effect to the functioning
and efficacy of the local government. As things stand, the local government
structures, mandate and resources are consistently abused by the Centre and the
states. Giving communities N20 million each is as symbolic as it is
shambolic. Frankly speaking, giving N20 million to a community is
neither an act of altruism nor a show statesmanship.What is N20 million per
community in three years compared to actual amounts collected by states on
behalf of each local government? In November 2016 for instance, the LGs
in the 36 states got N38.282 billion or (20.60%) of the FAAC allocation.
By simple arithmetic, the N20m shared to 177 communities, cumulatively amounts
to some N3.5b, which basically is a 3 month allocation to LGs. What
of the allocations for the other nine months? The reality is that states
engage in a game of hide-and-seek. Moreover, who are those executing or
controlling the execution of the N20 million community projects? Are they not
all State appointed? Please, let's for once be serious about governance.

Why would you
still be doing hide and seek when stakeholders have already endorsed you for
2017 after its last meeting?

OHO:There is
no hide and seek. I have declared my interest publicly. Yet, leadership and
governance politics is serious business. You must reflect and consult
broadly and not treat the matter with levity. Many stakeholders across
party lines have expressed support privately and some publicly. What I believe
is that I represent the very best option open to Anambra and indeed what
Anambra needs to move forward and that Anambra deserves to be chaperoned
by better, more credible, more capable and more focused and more accountable leadership
going forward.

Where would
you beam your search light for Deputy Governorship candidate?

OHO:Anambra
North is a beneficiary of the unwritten zoning arrangement. We respect that and
we are grateful. Invariably, a deputy will emerge from one of the other two
zones, most preferably the south zone. We are consulting on that topic and
would make a decision in due course.

How
would you respond to the "mad dogs" sent in to the social media to
attack anybody with opposing view to Obiano's administration when the real
politicking starts?

OHO:Personally,
I do not subscribe to negative politics, name calling, casting aspersions and
epithets and will discourage that from members of my team and my supporters. We
are in a democracy and our politics must be based on civility and decorum.
But those who wish to engage in negative politics should always remember
that such conduct is not their exclusive preserve.

Why do you think
Anambra needs a change of guard at the government house this 2017/18?

OHO: the
last two years of the Peter Obi administration was used to set the foundation
and trajectory that would have set Anambra State well ahead of every other
state in Nigeria. I was part of that endeavour and we finished strong.
Unfortunately, the momentum was lost, our development partners left; the
continuity promise was totally abandoned and the enormous saved resources were
frittered away. Those who were not part of the grand design hijacked the
mantle of leadership and reins of governance without any recourse to the game
plan. The reality is that you cannot implement an idea which you are not
the author or one for which you do not know the genesis or have a full buy in.
Those from the North who really campaigned and worked assiduously for the
government house had a clear vision and determination. But those who arrived
later scuttled the plan. A second tenure should be predicated on performance
and full accountability. As far as I can see there is a performance shortfall and
an accountability deficit. So I belong to the cadre of those who believe that
Anambra deserves better and that there are ample and plausible reasons for
desirable change in 2017/18.

Those outside
government always criticize as if to say that when they are in charge, they
will do magic. How do you think you can make a difference as a Governor?

OHO: There
is no magic wand to governance; but there must be accountability, credibility,
capacity, frugality and the political will to do things
right. I do not believe in criticisms for the sake of it or to
discredit. I've been involved in public service at the federal,
international and state levels. I was a child raised in various local
government settings. What makes a difference between one governor and the
other, is accountability, policy articulation, ownership, buy in and unfettered
service delivery. When advisers and supporters have no sense of ownership
of governance methods, it means they are in it for what they can get for
themselves. Policy and projects suffer and unmet needs go unattended.
As a leader, administrator and governor, I will ensure that there must be
a hands-on approach to governance. The best global practices must be put into
play to serve the people. When a government is doing well, the people are
unlikely to grumble. Presently, I hear a lot of grumbling, and chaffing at
prevalent hypocrisies, despite the clamor in the media of how good things
are.

ODOGWU EMEKA ODOGWU, CEO ODOGWU MEDIA

Obaze rattles Obiano over Anambra 2017, says Anambra North is not divided over candidate
Reviewed by Odogwu Emeka Odogwu
on
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Rating: 5